Box-couch hinge.



No. 635,605. Patented Oct; 24, I899.

J. T. SENG.

BOX COUCH HINGE.

m ncacio filed Feb. 6, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I,

No: 63-5,BQ. 1 Patented Oct. 24, I899.

J. T. SENG.

BOX COUCH HINGE.

lApplication med Feb. 6, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT 953cc.

JULIUS T. SENG, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE SENG COMPANY,

' OF SAME PLACE.

BOX-COUCH HINGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 635,605, dated October 24, 1899.

Application filed February 6, 1899. Serial No. 704,687. (No model.)

To a whom it may concern.-

Be itknown that I, JULIUS T. SENG,a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Box-Couch Hinges; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of. the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which IO it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to a novel construc tion in a boX-couch-cover hinge, the object being to provide a hinge of simple construction which will cause the cover to move inwardly away from the wall when opened; and it consists in the features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a couch, partially broken away at the ends to show the hinges. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similar section showing the cover raised in full lines to the upper limit of its movement.

In said drawings, A indicates the box or base, and B the cushioned cover, of a boxcouch. Mounted upon the lower face of said cover B adjacent its ends and rear edge are two plates 0, each provided with a flange 1, by means of which it is secured to said cover B, and an offset portion or tongue 2, offset inwardly from the ends of said couch and provided with a series of perforations 3, by

means of which the end of a spring is adapted to be connected with said hinge. A link 4=is pivotally secured at one end to said plate 0, at the upper rear portion thereof, and at its other end said link is pivotally secured to a plate 5, mounted upon the inner face of one of the end walls of the box A. To the forward end of said plate 0 one end of a link 6 is pivotally secured, the other end thereof being pivotally secured to a plate 7, mounted upon the inner face of the end wall of the box A, some distance away from and slightly higher than said plate 5. Said link iextends downwardly from its pivotal connection with said plate 0 at an incline, so that its other end is practically in vertical alinement with the pivotal connection between said plate 0 and the link 6. Said link 6 is of greater length than said link 4 and extends between its pivotal connections at an angle of about ten degrees to a horizontal plane and downwardly toward said plate 7. By means of said connections said plate C will turn upon the end portions of both links as pivots, while the latter will turn on the plates 5 and 7 as pivots, thus causing the pivotal connections with the plate 0 to move in arcs of circles whose centers coincide with the pivotal connections of the levers 4: and 6 with the plates 5 and 7, respectively. This compound movement of the plate 0 causes the rear end thereof to move in an are which diverges only slightly from a horizontal line,while the forward end of said plate 0 moves in two arcs, one having its center coincident with the pivotal connection between .the link 6 and plate 7and the other having its center coinciding with the pivotal connection between the plate 0 and the link 4:. The latter, however, being a moving center, the are described therefrom will coincide with the are described by the link 6. In this manner the plate (3 while turning on its pivots also moves toward the forward end of the box A, thus drawing the cover B sufficiently forward to prevent the cushion from coming in contact with an adjacent wall of the room, against which couches usually stand.

As previously stated, the perforations 3 in the offset tongue 2 serve as means for con necting one end of aspring with said tongue.

In the drawings I have indicated a spring 8, connected at one end with said tongue 2 and at its other end with an offset tongue 9 on a plate 10, secured to the end wall of the box A adjacent the plate 7 and preferably slightly higher than the latter. Said spring is noro mally at a tension when the cover Bis down, and owing to the fact that the direction of draft of said spring falls below the pivotal connection of the plate 0 said spring tends to raise said couch-cover, the weight of which, 5 however, is sufficient to prevent the spring from raising it. However, when said cover is started and slightly raised by hand the leverage of the tongue 2 is increased. Owing to the fact that a line intersecting the pivotal 10o connection of said link 6 with said plate 0 and the point of connection of the spring 8 therewith rises to a position more nearly perpendicular to the direction of draft and the center of gravity of the cover 13 approaches the plate 0, thus decreasing the leverage of the cover, the power exerted by the spring will exceed the weight of the cover, thus raising the latter automatically to the upper limit of its movement. During the upward movement of the cover B the spring is continually contracting and exerting less power, and at the same time the leverage of the tongue is constantly increasingand the center of gravity shifting, so that the relative counteracting forces are practically constantly preserving their relative ratios. These forcesnamely, the weight of the cover B and the power of the spring 8are so adjusted as to give a slight preponderence to the spring, so as to avoid violent opening of the cover B and enable the latter to be closed by a slight pressure thereon. The degree of preponderence of the spring can be regulated by connecting the latter with different perforations 3 in said offset tongue 2.

My device is simple, efficient, and inexpensive, having fewer parts than other devices of this character.

I claim as my invention 1. In a'device of the kind specified, the combination with a box-couch, of a hinge comprising a member rigidly secured to the cover and two arms pivotally mounted upon a rigid portion of the couch and pivotally connected with said first-named member at different points, one of said arms being of less length than the other and pivoted at a point below said member on said cover to move said member in an are approaching horizontal, and the other of said arms being pivoted at a point forward of said member and adapted to move the same in an arc transverse to the arc of said shorter arm, whereby said member on said cover will be moved forward at one point and upward at another point simultaneously, and a spring interposed between said member on said cover and a rigid portion of said couch against the action of which said cover is adapted to be closed, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the kind specified, the combination with a member adapted to be secured to a box-couch cover, of links pivotally connected therewith at different points, one of said links being pivotally connected with a plate secured to a wall of the box portion of the couch in vertical alinement with said member on said cover, and the other of said links being pivotally connected with a plate on the said wall of the box portion in horizontal alinement with said member on said cover, and a spring connected at one end with said member on said cover and at its other end with a rigid member on said box adapted normally to exert draft on said member on said cover in a direction transverse to said links, substantially as described.

3. In adevice of the kind specified, the combination with a plate mounted upon the cover of a box-couch adjacent its rear end and provided with a downwardly-extending tongue portion, a link pivotally connected at one end with the upper rear end portion of said plate and at its other end with a plate mounted upon the end wall of the box portion below said plate and forward of its pivotal connection therewith, and a link pivotally connected at one end with the front end of said plate and at its other end with a plate on said wall of said box portion forward of said plate in practicallyhorizontal alinement therewith, of

a spring connected at one end with the tongue portion of said plate and at its other end with a plate on said wall of said box portion and extending adjacent said last-named link whereby said spring will tend to normally raise said couch-cover, substantially as described.

4. In a device of the kind specified, the combination with a plate mounted upon the cover of a box-couch adjacent its rear end and provided with a downwardly-extending tongue portion, a link pivotally connected at one end with the upper rear end portion of said plate and at its other end with a plate mounted upon the end wall of the box portion below said plate and forward of its pivotal connection therewith, and a link of greater length than said first-named link pivotally connected at one end with the front end of said plate and at its other end with a plate on said wall of said box port-ion forward of said plate in practicallyhorizontal alinement therewith, of a spring connected at one end with the tongue portion of said plate and at its other end with a plate on said wall of said box portion and extending adjacent said last-named link, whereby said spring will tend to normally raise said couch-cover, substantially as described.

5. A box-couch hinge comprising a member adapted to be secured to the couchcover, members adapted to be secured to the end wall of the box portion of the couch, pivotal link connections between said members, said link connections being at angles to but not crossing each other whereby said member on said cover will move in two arcs, and a spring connected at one end to said member on said cover and at its other end to one of said members on said end wall of said box portion and extending transversely to one of said link connections and adjacent the other thereof, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JULIUS T. SENG.

WVitnesses:

F. J. SENe, G. J. BIoHL. 

